The narco-terrorist regime of Nicolás Maduro added a new fatal victim to its network of clandestine centers this Friday: Venezuelan former governor and political prisoner Alfredo Díaz, who died inside El Helicoide, the SEBIN prison internationally recognized as one of the most brutal torture sites of Chavismo. His death constitutes the most institutionally significant event to occur in custody since the regime took power: the first assassination of a political authority of that rank under the direct responsibility of the repressive apparatus.
The news was confirmed by activist and former ambassador Elisa Trotta, who denounced that this is "another innocent person slowly murdered by this criminal narco-tyranny." Since the July 28, 2024, elections, more than ten political prisoners have died in captivity, a pattern that demonstrates the systematic degradation of the penitentiary system under the dictatorship and its use as a tool of political extermination.
Díaz, councilman, mayor of the Mariño municipality, and former governor of Nueva Esparta state, had been detained in El Helicoide for more than a year. Several organizations had warned that his health was rapidly deteriorating and that he was being denied medical attention despite suffering from heart problems known to the regime. The leadership of Acción Democrática described the detention as "unjust and arbitrary" and held the Venezuelan state responsible for his death.
Opposition leader Leopoldo López also pointed directly at the regime. He recalled that Díaz "had been requesting medical attention for months and was denied it," and that his death constitutes a covert execution. López emphasized that every death in state custody "is further evidence of the criminal nature of Chavismo."
